Awake
by Ares' Warrior Babe
Summary: Pre-series. How did Molly tell Rick about her feeling. How did he react?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Warning, this story will be very sad. That is all. Oh, and it's pre-series around the year 1988. So it's set around the time when Love is Broken would have been written.**

***.***

Molly was quiet. She was never quiet; she always had something to say or something to sing. That's what made Rick fall in love with her; she was a free-spirit who always spoke her mind. But the quietness unnerved him. She had been like this for two weeks, ever since they had gotten back from their gig in New York City. Rick tried to think if anything had happened while they were there that would cause her to become so withdrawn.

He studied her as she sat watching the TV screen, but not really seeing what was happening. Rick reached a hand out and pulled her against him. She tensed for a moment before allowing herself to relax in his arms.

Molly kept her face hidden away from him, knowing she'd begin to cry if she looked him in the eyes. She was scared; absolutely terrified that what she saw in New York would become a reality. The…vision had made her blood run cold. She couldn't imagine a life without her husband. She needed him. He was the one who completed her, who made her feel loved, who was always there, no matter what. There was no way she could go on if he wasn't there standing beside her.

Molly could feel the tiny pinpricks of tears forming in her eyes. She tried to keep them from falling, but failed. Molly held her breath, trying not to alert her husband to her tears. He turned her to face him. "Sh baby, everything is okay." Molly clung to him, wanting to believe the words that he was saying.

She shook her head, trying to stop her tears. "You don't know that everything is okay. Things change so fast and if you blink, you miss what happens." Rick wiped away her tears, trying to follow what his wife was telling him. "One minute you're here, and the next, you're gone." Molly looked up at him.

"I'm not gone, I'm right here, next to you."

She bit her lip. "But you won't always be. I don't want you to leave me."

He shook his head, wondering what would make her think he would leave her. "Molly, I will never leave you. I _could never_ leave you. I love you too much for that happen. I can promise you that I'm not going anywhere." He held onto her hands tightly.

"I wish I could believe that," she whispered softly.

Rick pulled her closer to him. "What makes you think I would ever leave you?" he questioned. She turned away from him. "Have I ever given you a reason to make you think that I would?"

"No," she muttered, feeling a bit guilty.

"Molly," he prodded gently. She refused to look at him. "Molly, look at me," Rick demanded. Hesitantly her eyes met his once more. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" She nodded. "Please, tell me what's wrong so I can fix it. I don't like seeing you upset."

"I don't think you can fix it…"

He gently brushed a piece of hair away from her face. "You won't know until you talk about it."

Molly shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to see it again," she whispered brokenly. Molly laid her head on his shoulder, hiding her face from him.

"See what?" He asked while rubbing her back.

She took a deep breath, feeling the tears build up once more. "You dying." His motions stilled for a moment before resuming.

"What do you mean?"

He continued his soothing motions, waiting for her to elaborate. She was quiet and her breathing was slow. Rick thought she had fallen asleep until her voice interrupted the silence. "There was a car accident..."

_The road was dark; no one was in sight except for the lone pair of headlights that steadily drifted to the shoulder. It was fast, like a blinding bolt of lightning pulsing to the ground before blinking out. The car was shifting fast, moving towards the impending clutter of trees that bordered the street. It happened in a moment that felt like a lifetime was going by. The sound of grinding metal hitting hard wood, branches cracking and breaking, falling onto a broken car, shattering glass and spilling it onto the road. The glass glittered in the headlights, making the road look as if it was made of a crystal mosaic._

_His dark eyes were lifeless as smoke poured from the hood. Blood spilled from his hairline, falling down his face. He didn't move, not even a twitch of a muscle. His soul was gone, leaving his body hollow and empty. Rick was gone._

By the time Molly finished, Rick's t-shirt was soaked with her tears. He held onto her tightly as she sobbed. The things she had told him could happen to anyone, but she was adamant about it happening to him. Like it was already set in stone that he was going to die on that particular night. "I can't fathom being without you," Molly whispered through her tears.

"You'll never have to know what that's like, I promise you that." Rick tilted her face to his and kissed her deeply. The taste of salt danced on his tongue and he pulled away to hold her.

Molly laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. She allowed it to comfort her, and remind her that he was here with her right now. Soon Molly felt her eyes begin to shut of their own accord.

*.*

She woke up surrounded by darkness and a warm body pressed against her. Molly turned in her husband's arms and stared at him. The moonlight glinted off of him and she softly trailed a finger down his face, memorizing the way he looked. Rick stirred and she quickly pulled her hand back. His eyes fluttered open and he looked to her. "What are you doing?" he whispered softly.

"Memorizing you," she whispered back. Rick grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the inside of her palm. "What are you doing?"

"Memorizing you," he threw the line back at her. She giggled as he leaned in to kiss her.

Molly looked to the clock, noticing the sun was going to be rising soon. Rick stared at his wife as she glanced at the windows, watching the streaks of pinks and oranges envelop the sky. "It's beautiful," she said softly once the sun had fully risen.

"So beautiful," he whispered in her ear, his eyes never leaving her.

She turned to him and smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." Rick leaned over and kissed her once more. He pulled her close to him, wanting to relish this moment of peace between them. Molly sighed and snuggled closer to him. Maybe, just maybe this time what she saw would be wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the second section that takes place after Twin and before Lightning Rod. So it's roughly late August of 2000. Lyrics aren't mine. And for the sake of this story, there is a piano in the basement of their house.**

**Song is Awake by Josh Groban.**

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Fourteen year old Fiona Phillips wandered through the bottom floor of her house, set on a path to the living room to watch Paranormal Investigators. The newest episode was about demons and after what she had been through in New York she thought she should brush up on her knowledge of them. She could hear the sounds of Jack's video game floating from the living room and groaned inwardly. _'Great,'_ she thought to herself as she walked into the room.

Jack was sitting on the couch, engrossed in whatever game he was playing. "Go, go, go!" He chanted to his on-screen character.

"Jack, can you please stop playing for an hour?" He ignored his sister, instead focusing on sending out a line of fire at his attackers. Fiona glared at him and spotted the remote control sitting atop the mantle. She quickly walked over to it and grabbed it, stopping briefly to stare at the picture in the frame it was in front of.

It was a photo of her mom and dad. Molly was sitting on Rick's lap and he had his arms around her, holding her tightly. They both had big grins on their faces as they stared at the camera. The picture had been taken at her great-grandma Fiona's 70th birthday party. Molly had only known Rick for a few months, but she had taken him with her. Her grandmother took an instant liking to Rick, and kept a close eye on him and Molly throughout the entire day. She was the one who had taken their picture, right after she had given them the beautiful Celtic rings that Molly and Fi now wore.

Fiona sadly sighed before turning back to where Jack was, still intently watching the screen. She aimed the remote at the TV and clicked a button, causing the game to turn off. Jack swiftly looked to his sister. "What did you do that for?"

She smiled. "Hey you didn't listen when I asked you to stop playing." Fi placed the remote back onto the mantle.

Her brother quickly walked over to where she was and grabbed the remote. "I didn't have the game saved. Now I need to start all over." He flicked his game back on.

Fiona snatched the remote back. "Start over later. I want to watch something." She held on tightly to the remote as Jack grabbed the other end.

"Why don't you go contact the mother ship and have them beam you up?" He yanked on his end.

"Oh, very mature thing to say, loser." She pulled on her end.

He pulled back. "What's so important that it can't wait?"

"None of your business!"

Jack pulled harder. "It is when you turn off my game!" He pulled once more, causing Fiona to fall and his elbow to hit the picture frame on the mantel. They both watched as the frame fell to the ground, shattering the glass the protected the picture.

They could hear the sound of approaching footsteps and Fiona quickly scrambled to get up off the floor. "What happened?" Molly asked as she entered the room. Both kids looked guiltily at the ground. Molly's eyes shifted to the broken glass the lie on the floor. She sighed heavily and walked over towards it.

"We're sorry, mom. We'll clean it up." Jack quickly left the room to grab a broom and dustpan.

Molly turned her attention to her daughter, silently asking what happened. "Sorry." Jack walked back in and handed Fi the dustpan. Fiona crouched back down to the floor, picked up the back of the frame and set it to the side. She noticed a folded paper sitting atop the photo. Curiosity overcoming her, she picked it up and unfolded it. Scanning the words quickly, she looked to her mother who was now picking up bits of broken glass. "Mom? What is this?"

Molly glanced up from the glass and to the paper her daughter was holding. She gasped in realization and a tightness formed in her chest. Jack took the paper from his sister and read the words on the page. "Whoa, is this an old song you wrote?" Molly stayed quiet, not wanting to breathe, to remember the moments that led up to the words that were formed on that paper. "Mom?" Jack placed a hand on his mother's shoulder and she jumped slightly. "Are you okay?" She could feel the tears building up and wished desperately to be alone, away from the curious looks of her kids.

She nodded and hesitantly reached out to take the paper from Fiona. "I forgot this was behind that picture…" she whispered. Molly walked over to sit on the couch, Jack and Fi following her.

"What is it?" Fiona asked once more.

Her fingers gently traced over the words and she closed her eyes, remembering her husband.

_She woke up surrounded by darkness and a warm body pressed against her. Molly turned in her husband's arms and stared at him. The moonlight glinted off of him and she softly trailed a finger down his face, memorizing the way he looked. Rick stirred and she quickly pulled her hand back. His eyes fluttered open and he looked to her. "What are you doing?" he whispered softly. _

"_Memorizing you," she whispered back. Rick grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the inside of her palm. "What are you doing?"_

"_Memorizing you," he threw the line back at her. She giggled as he leaned in to kiss her. _

_Molly looked to the clock, noticing the sun was going to be rising soon. Rick stared at his wife as she glanced at the windows, watching the streaks of pinks and oranges envelop the sky. "It's beautiful," she said softly once the sun had fully risen. _

"_So beautiful," he whispered in her ear, his eyes never leaving her._

_She turned to him and smiled. "I love you."_

"_I love you too." Rick leaned over and kissed her once more._

After a few moments of silence, she found her voice. "Rick wrote this song a few weeks after Jack turned four..."

"Daddy wrote it?"

Molly turned to her daughter. "Yeah," she whispered.

Jack looked at the date written on the paper. September 7, 1988. "He wrote it after you told him about your feeling and had written "Love is Broken"." Jack stared at the lyrics. "Did he believe you?"

"I think in a way he did." The trio continued to stare at the lyrics, each lost in their own thoughts.

Jack cleared his throat. "Can we hear it?" Slowly Molly nodded, got off the couch and walked to the stairs. Fiona and Jack followed her; curious to know where she was going. They followed her into her bedroom and watched as she dug through her closet, looking for something. "Mom?"

Molly trudged back out of her closet holding a cd. She walked over to the stereo in her room and placed the cd in. Taking a deep breath, she pressed 'play' before walking over to join her kids on her bed.

Soft piano music filled the room, enveloping them in familiarity. _"A beautiful and blinding morning, the world outside begins to breathe. See clouds arriving without warning, I need you here to shelter me. And I know that only time will tell us how to carry on without each other." _Molly could feel the tears falling down her face as she listened to her husband's voice.

Fiona grabbed her mom's hand and held on tightly. _"So keep me awake to memorize you. Give me more time to feel this way. We can't stay like this forever, but I can have you next to me today. If I could make these moments endless. If I could stop the winds of change. If we just keep our eyes wide open, then everything would stay the same."_

"And I know that only time will tell me how we'll carry on without each other. So keep me awake for every moment. Give us more time to be this way. We can't stay like this forever, but I can have you next to me today."

Jack could feel tears building up, but he tried to hold them in, not wanting to cry in front of his mom and sister. He felt Molly reach for his hand and squeeze it tightly. Tears began falling and he held her hand tighter. "_We'll let tomorrow wait, you're here, right now, with me. All my fears just fall away, when you are all I see. We can't stay like this forever, but I have you here today. And I will remember, oh I will remember, remember all the love we shared today."_

The trio was crying once the song had ended. Molly wrapped her arms around Fiona and Jack and held them close to her. "I love you guys so much," Molly told them softly. They held on to their mom tighter.

They stayed huddled together long after the song had finished, each of them not wanting to leave the embrace. A feeling of serenity and calm washed over them and they smiled through their tears, knowing that their father and husband was there with them in that moment.

***.***

**If you want to hear the song, go to youtube and search Josh Groban – Awake.**


End file.
